Ride of the Month: Gavin Lerena

The sixth in our series of the most eye-catching ride by a Cape-based jockey each month. We ask former Cape Met-winning rider and renowned jockey MJ Byleveld, now a member of Cape Racing’s on-course commentary team, for his verdict.

Ride Of The Month (November): Gavin Lerena – World Of Pleasure

It’s hard to believe that a horse who took 14 runs to win his maiden, and then as a MR67 in an Open Maiden, has now won six of seven subsequent starts and risen to a MR96. But that’s the case with Vaughan Marshall’s Aspect, with Sean Veale being the fifth different rider to win on him. Veale rode a very good tactical race on the five-year-old gelding, who was trying a mile for the first time on the 2nd November.

In fact, there were a number of applaudable rides in November, a month where the sun came out and we had the wind in our sails. It’s been quite a tough task narrowing the good rides down to a handful, but I’m going to mention a couple, and then into my top two.

I’m going to give Ashton Arries two ticks for November, the first being on All Is Green on the 2nd where he touched off Aldo Domeyer on The Charleston. A week later Ashton was back in the winner’s box, this time aboard Miss Marguerite, where he rode a very good race to get the better of Craig Zackey on Asiye Phambile and Grant van Niekerk on Summer Lily, to win the Listed Lasserfaire Stakes.

That same day I thought Joshwin Solomons showed some fine riding intelligence to go to the front on Daimyo in the Listed Woolavington Stakes and lead from start to finish. He knew that he was only carrying 50kg over the 2500m marathon and used it to his full advantage to keep finding more.

The same meeting (9th), Richard Fourie popped up, as would be expected of the champion jockey, with a fine ride on Mon Petit Cherie to win the Western Cape Fillies Championship at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

He was drawn 10 out of 12 on the filly, a tough draw over 1400m, but he managed to place her on the fence and then came with his run down the inside, getting up to see off Beware The Bomb by a short head.

That was going to be my ride of the month, before Gavin Lerena popped into town and rode World Of Pleasure at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on the 23rd.

He had it all to do on board the 14-1 outsider, with the favourite Empire State looking all over the winner inside the final 100m. But Gavin changed his stick late on and drove World Of Pleasure through to the line, getting up to win by a short head. And in doing so he pipped Richard for my Ride of the Month award as well!

MJ’s past rides of the month

June: Oswald Noach – Little Miss Pink

July: Craig Zackey – Green Isle

August: Corne Orffer – Master Redoute

September: Oswald Noach – Princess Of Bayeux

October: Richard Fourie – King Viserys